Denver Colorado Neighbors

Voters reject big tax hike, school finance measure Amendment 66

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 1:11 am

by Solutionkidd

The voters spoke so clearly on this measure that any politician who starts talking about more money for education needs to be sent packing. This is the second major defeat of education funding increases in the past three years. Please listen to us; get rid of the unions, cut the administration levels in all school districts, fire bad teachers.

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 1:13 am

by zzclancy

LOL. You thought we would just hand over the money? Oops, but it's for the children. Hey Bloomberg you and the union came up short.

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 2:07 am

by Neil C

In order for education to work, educators at the very least need kids who want to learn and who come to the classroom with adequate English speaking and reading skills. Parents who expect teachers to "do it all" are the weakest link in our educational system.

Single parent families, entitlement oriented families and a materialistic culture simply won't cut it in a highly competitive world. Perhaps former President John F. Kennedy said it best during his inaugural address, "Ask not what our country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country".

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 3:22 am

by iraiam

Neil C wrote:In order for education to work, educators at the very least need kids who want to learn and who come to the classroom with adequate English speaking and reading skills. Parents who expect teachers to "do it all" are the weakest link in our educational system.

Single parent families, entitlement oriented families and a materialistic culture simply won't cut it in a highly competitive world. Perhaps former President John F. Kennedy said it best during his inaugural address, "Ask not what our country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country".

The more pertinent question is to ask what our government is going to do to us next. I don't trust these current political hacks in office.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:15 am

by brianb10

Good job Colorado voters! My hats off to you for seeing right through this and sending a message to politicians. As someone said earlier it's time for Daddy to take away the ATM card and this was a start.

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:19 am

by Reio88

It is good to see that a solid majority of Colorado voters agree. The solution to every issue is not to simply throw money at it, especially when it is someone else's money.Colorado voters have learned to live on their budget, even a smaller budget and lower pay.

It is time city, state and federal learn to do the same.Money, taxes are not inexhaustible supplies, financial responsibility in government is needed.

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:21 am

by Yankee47

Thanks for the lead photo DP!

Thatcher told us about the problems the political class have when they run out of other people's money. Now we've seen their facial expressions when it starts to happen.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:22 am

by AnnsThought

I agree with the Governor. This would have been an investment in our children. Expanding preschool and making kindergarten a full day are good ideas. Expanding all school hours to 5 p.m. would be a good idea. Other countries don't have such short school days, and their children receive better education. Perhaps if the initiative had set out specific spending requirements, rather than simply allowing each district to decide what to do with the money, more voters would have supported it. Perhaps it was just the wrong time to ask, considering the economy and the fact that so many are living paycheck to paycheck.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:27 am

by Yankee47

Neil C wrote:In order for education to work, educators at the very least need kids who want to learn and who come to the classroom with adequate English speaking and reading skills. Parents who expect teachers to "do it all" are the weakest link in our educational system.

The weakest link in our educational system is the federal government. That's a gift Nixon gave us that just keeps on giving. Return education to local control and the problem we're facing evaporate.

Single parent families, entitlement oriented families and a materialistic culture simply won't cut it in a highly competitive world. Perhaps former President John F. Kennedy said it best during his inaugural address, "Ask not what our country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country".

Nail on the head. If the family as an institution fails, the government you need to play nanny is unsustainable. That's why social policies that foster and strengthen the family are the essential, first step.

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:29 am

by Flyefisher

Colorado voters saw this for what it was - free daycare disguised as "education" and a huge tax increase on the middle class.

It is a relief after this year's legislative session to see that Coloradans are waking up to this wave of big government and thoroughly rejecting it.

Take notice coastal Lefties - your variety is not wanted here.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:33 am

by Yankee47

AnnsThought wrote:I agree with the Governor. This would have been an investment in our children. Expanding preschool and making kindergarten a full day are good ideas. Expanding all school hours to 5 p.m. would be a good idea. Other countries don't have such short school days, and their children receive better education.

When I was a kid, 3.10pm was the greatest moment in the day. I doubt that's changed much. Look how good I turned out.

Perhaps if the initiative had set out specific spending requirements, rather than simply allowing each district to decide what to do with the money, more voters would have supported it. Perhaps it was just the wrong time to ask, considering the economy and the fact that so many are living paycheck to paycheck.

Inevitable. The failure of centralized control is always addressed by calling for more power given to the central authority. That downward spiral goes on until the system finally implodes. How about if we go the other way for a change? How about if we give more authority to the local control instead?

Worth a shot, do you think?

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:34 am

by AnnsThought

Looking at the Secretary of State website, as of October there were 3,561,647 registered voters in Colorado. Only 1,164,031 bothered to cast a vote. I would be interested to know the percentage of voters by county, and whether a few counties were able to control the outcome for all counties simply because registered voters failed to participate.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

AnnsThought wrote:I agree with the Governor. This would have been an investment in our children. Expanding preschool and making kindergarten a full day are good ideas. Expanding all school hours to 5 p.m. would be a good idea. Other countries don't have such short school days, and their children receive better education.

When I was a kid, 3.10pm was the greatest moment in the day. I doubt that's changed much. Look how good I turned out.

Perhaps if the initiative had set out specific spending requirements, rather than simply allowing each district to decide what to do with the money, more voters would have supported it. Perhaps it was just the wrong time to ask, considering the economy and the fact that so many are living paycheck to paycheck.

Inevitable. The failure of centralized control is always addressed by calling for more power given to the central authority. That downward spiral goes on until the system finally implodes. How about if we go the other way for a change? How about if we give more authority to the local control instead?

Worth a shot, do you think?

I can agree with district control rather than central control, but there were no specifics offered to the voters. They didn't have to say exactly what they planned to do with the money. I'm just saying perhaps if they had to commit a proposed budget with the increased dollars, the voters could have looked at the spending proposal and supported it.

As for 3:10 p.m. being the best moment of the day,,,,LOL! I think we all felt that way.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 5:47 am

by valpaul2

Is it the Administrations or the Unions fault ? After all, in all negotiations both partiessit down at the same table and agree on what is to be presented for ratification.Why is half of the baloney even put out for vote to begin with... If you hand me a $100.00 billyes I will take it. Until both sides can prove they can be fiscally responsible NOT ANOTHER PENNY $$$$$ And anybody who supported this should be ashamed of themselves. If I don't perform for my employer I get fired, if I perform well I get a raise and bonuses..... HEY THERES A IDEA

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

AnnsThought wrote:I agree with the Governor. This would have been an investment in our children. Expanding preschool and making kindergarten a full day are good ideas. Expanding all school hours to 5 p.m. would be a good idea. Other countries don't have such short school days, and their children receive better education.

When I was a kid, 3.10pm was the greatest moment in the day. I doubt that's changed much. Look how good I turned out.

Perhaps if the initiative had set out specific spending requirements, rather than simply allowing each district to decide what to do with the money, more voters would have supported it. Perhaps it was just the wrong time to ask, considering the economy and the fact that so many are living paycheck to paycheck.

Inevitable. The failure of centralized control is always addressed by calling for more power given to the central authority. That downward spiral goes on until the system finally implodes. How about if we go the other way for a change? How about if we give more authority to the local control instead?

Worth a shot, do you think?

I can agree with district control rather than central control, but there were no specifics offered to the voters. They didn't have to say exactly what they planned to do with the money. I'm just saying perhaps if they had to commit a proposed budget with the increased dollars, the voters could have looked at the spending proposal and supported it.

As for 3:10 p.m. being the best moment of the day,,,,LOL! I think we all felt that way.

The beginning to the solution is to return control to the district level. The education dollars we send to Washington go out on a pretty expensive night on the town before they are returned. Along with the money Washington does return come standards and regulations designed by the do-gooders on high. The government that governs best is the government closest to the people.

Beyond that, budgeting in the progressive era has not been one of the federal governments strong points. In fact, we don't have one.

There's a reason for that.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 6:11 am

by anthony703

AnnsThought wrote:Looking at the Secretary of State website, as of October there were 3,561,647 registered voters in Colorado. Only 1,164,031 bothered to cast a vote. I would be interested to know the percentage of voters by county, and whether a few counties were able to control the outcome for all counties simply because registered voters failed to participate.

These types of elections (off-year) have always been the purview of the teachers unions, which use it as a tactic in order to get their pet bills through. They know that most voters are not paying a whole lot of attention and are less likely to vote, while the Progressive troops of the left are organized and ready to go. The entire premise of this amendment was as phony as was the premise used to shoehorn Obama-care into place. Which was proved out by the huge numbers of out of state $ that were used to try and get it into place. How or why would such ultra Progressives as Bloomberg and Gates think it was to their benefit to interfere in Colorado or any-other place outside of their own backyard? Just perhaps--people in this state are starting to wise up to the whole Progressive rant that the Koch brothers are not the "only" evil rich guys out there, but also George Soros, Bloomberg, Gates and the states own resident crew of Progressive fat cats that are in it only for the power that they can harvest from the uneducated and unaware sheep that are ready to be sheared for the benefit of the collective.Douglas county showed the way when they booted the ineffective and destructive teachers union and began real reforms that put education back into the classroom and held the teachers to an obligation to know how to do what they were hired to do. Next in line--do something about the looming disaster of the union retirement scheme and the likely-hood that it will do the same thing to Colorado as it did to Detroit and soon to fail California,Illinois and New York.

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 6:16 am

by jakebrake

Voters emphatically rejected a $950 million tax increase and the school funding revamp that came with it, handing Amendment 66 a resounding defeat Tuesday night.

This was a no brainer from the git go. All I can say is thank God for TABOR. Had this issue been left to our current crop of loons in the Colorado Legislature, the tax payers would have been sunk long ago with this massive tax increase for that proverbial money grabbing toilet called education.

With this resounding defeat we can't sit back and lose focus, as you can be assured this issue, or one much like it will rear it's ugly head in the next election cycle. Democrats like Johnson, Hancock, the Hickster, Bloomberg and Gates just can't grasp the concept of voters resoundingly telling them NO.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for the day...We are always hearing about how Social Security is going to run out of money. How come we never hear about Welfare running out of money?

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

AnnsThought wrote:Looking at the Secretary of State website, as of October there were 3,561,647 registered voters in Colorado. Only 1,164,031 bothered to cast a vote. I would be interested to know the percentage of voters by county, and whether a few counties were able to control the outcome for all counties simply because registered voters failed to participate.

These types of elections (off-year) have always been the purview of the teachers unions, which use it as a tactic in order to get their pet bills through. They know that most voters are not paying a whole lot of attention and are less likely to vote, while the Progressive troops of the left are organized and ready to go. The entire premise of this amendment was as phony as was the premise used to shoehorn Obama-care into place. Which was proved out by the huge numbers of out of state $ that were used to try and get it into place. How or why would such ultra Progressives as Bloomberg and Gates think it was to their benefit to interfere in Colorado or any-other place outside of their own backyard? Just perhaps--people in this state are starting to wise up to the whole Progressive rant that the Koch brothers are not the "only" evil rich guys out there, but also George Soros, Bloomberg, Gates and the states own resident crew of Progressive fat cats that are in it only for the power that they can harvest from the uneducated and unaware sheep that are ready to be sheared for the benefit of the collective.Douglas county showed the way when they booted the ineffective and destructive teachers union and began real reforms that put education back into the classroom and held the teachers to an obligation to know how to do what they were hired to do. Next in line--do something about the looming disaster of the union retirement scheme and the likely-hood that it will do the same thing to Colorado as it did to Detroit and soon to fail California,Illinois and New York.

There is no comparison between the agendas of the Koch brothers and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates has been on the soap box about improved public education for years, including speaking out against teachers unions that protect bad teachers. This isn't some evil progressive agenda,,,,its about funding our schools and providing world class education to Colorado kids. Expanding preschool and kindergarten will help children learn to read. Did you know that most people in prison read at an elementary school level? If a person can't read, they can't do well in our society. If they can't get jobs, they resort to crime. Its cheaper to teach them to read than to house them in prisons.

Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 6:29 am

by Barney

Make no mistake, the greedy teacher unions will be back in a few years asking for more money on top of the 40% of the State budget plus local revenues that they already get. If they keep pounding away on the taxpayer with their not so cleverly disguised "It's for the children" campaigns, by law of averages they will catch taxpayers off guard one of these elections and get their way.

To all the Lefties out there - I thought Colorado was a blue state that loved to throw their money into the black hole of foolish Liberal ideas? What happened?

Re: Article Discussion: Voters reject big tax hike, school finan

Posted: November 6th, 2013, 6:39 am

by Quite Frankly

We should push for a right to work amendment. If nothing else it would limit what the unions can do for left wing candidates next election and who knows, it might pass.